- WRITTEN BY GUEST BLOGGER COURTNEY ROSENFELD

Lighten Your Load

Crunching numbers is a crucial aspect of business management. It’s how you track your progress, get paid, order materials, assess your target audience, and so forth. While there is no getting away from collecting and studying that information, there are ways to ease certain aspects of how its collected and computed.  
 
One of the simplest streamlining opportunities for solopreneurs comes in the form of outsourcing bookkeeping. Even if you’re someone who enjoys the process of tallying and computing, sending the basics off to a freelancer means you can focus on more important figures. Balancing your checkbook and proper attribution are easily passed off to a pro, and you can move on to bigger and better things.

Another opportunity for lightening your workload is invoicing. While it’s a must for all businesses, it shouldn’t be cumbersome. Consider all-in-one invoicing software that handles important tasks like recurrent billing, customized estimates, and automatic payment reminders. As a one-stop shop for all your invoicing needs, you can put your effort into finding the next big client, hiring additional staff, identifying a new niche audience, or developing a fledgling idea.

Mine for Gold

When it comes to assessing advertising, product development, or expanding your customer base, mining your own data can provide pivotal insights. By examining what’s working and what isn’t, you can capitalize on winning strategies and make enhancements in weak areas. Read reviews to find data collection software solutions to help you take information you already have, mine the important nuggets, and lift your small business to the next level.

Stay Socially Active

Some statistics indicate that 45 percent of the world’s population is using social media these days, so when it comes to marketing opportunities, it’s a field ripe for picking. Chances are, you don’t have a lot of time for posting contests, answering questions, and sharing memes, but thankfully, you don’t need to spend hours on various channels. As YFS Magazine explains, there are social media tools that allow you to schedule posts in advance, track and reply to comments, share posts on several channels. In return, they supply you with metrics.

There are a few major players in the social media world, including Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, but don’t stop there. Think through which social media channels are particularly pertinent to your business, and ensure you don’t miss out. For instance, if moms-to-be are a big part of your audience, you don’t want to skip CafeMom. If you own a bookstore, check into sites like Goodreads. If there is a place your target audience gathers, the last thing you want to do is ignore their main stomping grounds!

Organize Your Thoughts

Have you established a formal business plan? It’s a step many small business owners skip, but it’s a chance to give your ideas direction and formalize your goals. One of the reasons many solopreneurs neglect a business plan is because it can seem like an unwieldy amount of work, but Business News Daily points out that there are templates to simplify your efforts. Once completed, it opens a world of opportunity as well. It’s something to point to if you want to apply for a small business loan or grant, or if you elect to seek investors.

Thanks to tech-based help and freelancers, solopreneurs can do many important things. There are opportunities to lighten your workload, enhance your marketing, and organize your plans. In the end, these opportunities can help you be more effective, productive, and successful.